Households’ participation in and expenditure on recreation and tourism in Pakistan

We employ Heckman selection models and Probit, OLS techniques to estimate the effect of socio-economic factors on household participation in and expenditure on recreation and tourism in Pakistan. Results show that income, education, region and women’s empowerment increase the probability of households in participation in on recreational and tourism while the number of adults and children in the households decreases probability. Similarly, household income and age of the household head positively but the number of adults and children negatively affect households’ expenditure on tourism. Strategies and policies in favor of low income and large families’ participation in tourism are recommended.     

Human resource management practices and organizational commitment in four- and five-star hotels in Egypt

Previous studies have shown that human resource management practices affect hotel performance by influencing employees' commitment to their organization. Organizational commitment, in turn, influences workforce turnover, organizational citizenship behavior, and job performance. This study analyzed the relationship between human resource management practices and organizational commitment in 257 employees in nine four- and five-star hotels in Cairo and Alexandria, using partial least squares structural equation modeling to test models predicting organizational commitment. Hiring, training and development, performance appraisals, remuneration, and communication were all positively and significantly related to affective commitment, but only communication affected continuance commitment.     

Collaboration between practitioners and public agencies in preserving and promoting musical heritage in Macao

This study attempts to explore the nature of collaborative relationship between the local government and performers of Cantonese opera in Macao by using in-depth interviews and field trips. Based on the results, a framework has been developed to demonstrate how the local government and performers joint forces to preserve and promote Cantonese opera through tourism. The framework also suggested an approach to balance the power relationship between key players by revealing how the local government and performers interchanged their roles in different areas of the project. The study empirically confirmed the importance of sharing common goals and having sufficient communication and coordination between key players for effective collaboration.     

Training and research in Switzerland

The Institute of Tourism and Transport Economy at the St Gall Graduate School of Economics, Law, Business and Public Administration, University of St Gallen, Switzerland.     

Tourism and governance in Turkey

Tourism is speedily changing form, process, and structure. As a result of the globalization of its supply and demand, many countries have felt the need to reconsider related structures and processes, including the specific role of the state. This study indicates that tourism in Turkey developed in stages, constantly interacting with political, social, and economic components of the polity. During most of these stages, the state played a dominant role. But since the 80s, the dynamics of governance has triggered a gradual transformation from a basically state-sponsored and managed development to different forms of public–private partnership; a process curtailed, however, by the political culture.     

Airports and tourism in Mozambique

This paper analyses airport efficiency in Mozambique from 2000 to 2012, estimating a cost function with random and fixed effects stochastic frontier models. A robustness test is undertaken with a Bayesian stochastic frontier model. The airports are ranked according to their technical efficiency (TE). The policy implication is that Mozambique should upgrade its managerial procedures to cope with the frontier of best practices.     

Stories and design in tourism

The aim of this paper is to explore the use of stories as a concept to guide the design of various dimensions of tourism and tourist experience. After reviewing this wider social science literature on the important roles that stories play in human experience, the paper examines the main themes relevant to stories and tourist experience emerging from existing tourism research. An overall conceptual framework for stories and storytelling in tourism is then described. While the main focus of the paper is on the design of tourist experience opportunities and destination promotion, applications related to the use of stories in other aspects of tourism are suggested.     

Energy use and management in hotels in Hong Kong

This paper reports on a study of energy use in 16 quality hotels in Hong Kong. An overview of energy use in these hotels is firstly presented, and this is followed by a detailed analysis of energy use in one of the 16 hotels. The overview indicates that the energy use situation in hotels in Hong Kong is very much diversified. The total energy use in a hotel is dominated by electricity, with the greatest portion for air conditioning because of sub-tropical climate. A detailed multiple variable regression analysis indicated that a number of hotel operating parameters as well as climatic condition can affect electricity, diesel and gas use in a hotel building. In order to achieve both operating cost saving and environmental protection, it is recommended that an energy management programme be established, and key elements of such a programme based on the experience of implementing energy conservation strategies in hotels in Hong Kong are highlighted.     

Service robots and perceived discrimination in tourism and hospitality

This study explores the influences of the incorporation of service robots in the service delivery systems of tourism and hospitality companies on the perceived discrimination of tourists and tourism employees. In doing so, a conceptual framework is proposed to explain the relationships between robots-based service delivery systems in tourism and hospitality (e.g., fully robotised and mixed service delivery systems) and discrimination. This paper demonstrates that although service robots may be advantageous in eliminating/mitigating perceived discrimination (from employees to tourists, tourists to tourists, tourists to employees, employer/employee to employee), using robots can also create or aggravate perceived discrimination. Though this study is the first attempt on the subject and presents beneficial knowledge for tourism and hospitality service providers and service robot designers, future empirical studies could shed more light on the relationship between robots-based service delivery systems and discrimination in the tourism and hospitality context.     

Trade unionism and the employer in hotels and restaurants

This paper outlines George Bain's research findings on the employer's role in influencing white-collar union growth and development. It argues that the conclusions he draws from his research have validity in other industrial sectors and in hotels and restaurants specifically. Some parallels are drawn between the employment characteristics of private white-collar and hotel and restaurant employees paying particular attention to predominant management attitudes and arguing that these represent a major obstacle to future trade union growth. The suggestion is examined that trends in the ownership of the sector are influencing management policies and practices to become more supportive of trade unionism but it is concluded that these trends do not offer any substantial potential for unionisation.     

Promoting quality-of-life and well-being research in hospitality and tourism

There is an increasing interest in quality-of-life/well-being research in hospitality and tourism. The goal of this paper is to further promote the development and use of quality-of-life/well-being concepts in the discipline by reviewing seven major theories of quality of life and well-being (and their application in hospitality and tourism based on the research that I and my colleagues have conducted over the years) and suggesting future avenues of research. The theories discussed are self-congruity theory, self-expressiveness theory, bottom-up spillover theory, leisure benefits theory, goal theory, need hierarchy theory, and broaden-and-build theory.     

Recruitment and Retention Practices in Independent and Chain Restaurants

Abstract

The management of employees in the restaurant industry is a major challenge that operators must address as companies work to find the best employees in a shrinking labor market. An exploratory study of twenty restaurants (ten independent and ten chain restaurants) investigated similarities and differences in employee recruitment and retention practices. Personal face-to-face interviews with managers disclosed a variety of interesting practices and ideas in the management areas of recruitment, interviewing and hiring, incentives, discipline, and retention. Environmental issues (relating to atmosphere and work environment) were most frequently cited by managers as reasons employees choose to work and remain in restaurants. Compensation and monetary awards were second in importance, followed by work schedule. This analysis provides an understanding from the manager's viewpoint of why employees work in restaurants and offers a perspective in current practices in employee recruitment and retention processes.     

The use and acceptability of convenience and fast-foods in the food service industry in Scotland

A questionnaire was circulated at random to six sectors of the catering industry in Scotland. The types of convenience foods used, frequency of use, relative importance of several processing factors and customers' views of catering establishments were studied. Some fifteen ideas for ‘new’ products are listed, the main requirement being for higher quality products at lower cost. Most caterers feel that customers mainly look for value for money and good presentation.     

Mobilising identity and culture in experience co-creation and venue operation

This paper examines the multiple ways in which notions of identity and associated cultural values are entangled in the management and operation of commercial hospitality spaces. The paper reviews literature on experience, identity and hospitality operations management within the experience paradigm and argues that existing work provides limited insights into how identities are ‘experientialised’ within hospitality venues. Empirical data are used to demonstrate how management and consumers mobilise direct and associative references to identity. The paper conceptualises the processes involved in venue operation through the notion of inducement, and it discusses the spatial, material, performative and representational practices in the creation of hospitality experiences.     

Organized Youth Sport and Parenting in Public and Private Spaces

This article examines the connection of organized youth sport to cultural beliefs, values and practices of contemporary parenting ideologies, specifically the idealization of intensive mothering and involved fathering. It explores how parenting ideologies are constructed by the discourses expressed by individuals in their everyday lives through their children's sport participation. Moreover, the analysis of the parental discourse illustrates how parenting goes beyond the home environment and becomes a public act that is observed by other parents, with these observations creating the basis of what is deemed to be a good parent. Emphasis is also placed on the gendered dimensions of meeting the expectations for being a good parent.